A:N/ Hello, I am back from the unforeseen circumstances and this is another chapter that I hope you all will enjoy! Once again, I own the confusing character of Elyse, and Isayama owns the other confusing ones.

Elyse acted normal as they got aboard the plane, meaning she was pleasant with Erwin and her father and that she didn't speak to her brother, still mad at him, but she was also desperate to talk to him about what Braun had told her.

Elyse remembered the phone conversation and she was sure that she had forgotten to breathe.

"Braun, what the fuck are you saying?" Elyse asked, sharply. She didn't care if she cursed since what she heard was shocking to the point that Elyse wouldn't be surprised if Braun accused Erwin of being a dinosaur. Also, she has a fucking hangover, and she was in no mood to be messed with.

"Did you just curse?" Braun asked, taken aback. Elyse hissed in annoyance.

"Braun, what the fuck are you saying? You're saying that my husband was married before and that he has a kid with her? Wouldn't you think that my father would actually research this— "

"Elyse, listen. I just-"

"No, Braun, you listen. I just lost my uncle, and I'm not in the mental state of mind to hear anymore bullshit." Elyse interrupted him, angrily. Her pounding headache was not helping her as she massaged her temples.

"Elyse, look, I'm sorry, I just thought— "

"You thought that I wanted to hear this now? I don't, Braun, okay? You have no right to just call me out of the blue and hit me with news someone who happens to be in the next room." Elyse hissed, her head starting to spin out of control.

Braun sighed and Elyse also took that moment to take deep breaths.

Before Braun could talk once more, Elyse was the first one to say something.

"I'm going to be in Paris tonight. We'll meet tomorrow at a café somewhere. Okay, Braun?" Elyse final said, her mind spinning with so many questions.

She could feel Braun's hesitation on the phone, but after he confirmed it. Elyse didn't bother to say bye after she hung up.

Before she knew it, she was on the bathroom floor, breathing deeply, trying to grasp what was just revealed to her.

Was Braun saying the right thing? If so, who told him? Was Erwin really married? Was he a father to another kid? Marie? Was it the same Marie she had just met last night? Mr. Dok's new fiancé?

The questions were making her hungover head pound even more and Elyse had to pull herself together as soon as she heard Erwin call out for her.

She had splashed water on her face and she stared at herself in the mirror, trying to calm herself down and make sure that her face wasn't as spooked as soon as she saw Erwin.

Now, here she was. In the private jet, waiting to land and see her kids, trying to ignore the fact that maybe a stranger was sitting right across from her.

Elyse was still out of it when her father, brother, and Erwin were picked up from the air strip. She was once again thankful that she had no clue what business they were trying to conclude and embraced the cool side of the window in where her head laid on.

The hangover she had was quickly disappearing and she was terrified that maybe her headache was accredited to what Braun had told her.

All thoughts of it flew out of her mind as soon as she saw her children running towards them, their little arms flailing about as they screamed.

Elyse bent down and they overpowered her as they tackled her to the ground. She laughed as Eren began to kiss her cheeks and Armin and Mikasa were busy trying to push Eren off so they could have a turn in hugging their mother.

But, a cough from behind them caught Armin and Mikasa's attention and they abandoned their failed mission as they ran to their father instead.

Elyse got up, carrying Eren and she gave a half-hearted smile as she watched Armin and Mikasa be carried by their father as he nuzzled their cheeks and kissed their heads.

Her heart began to break as she started to envision Erwin's probable other child out there, not getting love from their father.

Elyse, stop. Whatever Braun is trying to accuse Erwin off can't be true. Erwin would've told you. He would've.

But, even Elyse couldn't get that nagging voice from the back of her mind.

But, what if it's true?

Elyse never hated sharing a room with Erwin, but tonight she did. She had been spaced out the entire time when her family was talking in the jet, so she was taken aback when her father said that he would be staying with them for the night. Her brother, the tension between them getting high, rejected Erwin's offer for him to stay the night and it surprised everyone except Elyse, who only bit her lip as she watched her brother leave.

She had wanted to talk to him, but that meant apologizing and she was still angry. Especially now that the world was really trying to mess with her.

Now, here she was, sitting on the shared bed with Erwin as he read his book and she pretended she was on her phone, trying to hide that she was acting weird about anything.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Erwin asked her, his eyes never leaving the book in his hand, as his eyeglasses drooped slightly down his nose.

Elyse, surprised and scared, almost dropped her phone. That got Erwin's attention and he turned to look at her, confused.

"T-Talk about what?" Elyse asked, trying to figure out how he heard her and Braun's conversation.

She had been discreet in the bathroom, hadn't she? She remembered that Erwin packing their things in the other room. Oh no, maybe the door had been open or-

"You and Levi have not been speaking since the funeral. I thought that maybe you would like to talk about it." Erwin said, slowly, as if scared that he was going to frighten her more.

Elyse sighed, in relief, and that made Erwin raise an eyebrow at her.

She scrambled to make it look like she had sighed in sadness, not relief, and by the look in Erwin's eyes, he was not convinced. Maybe he was, but then again, Elyse was too paranoid to even make a clear-cut decision in discerning emotions. Especially her own.

"We-We fought." Elyse hesitantly admitted. "It was a family thing. My brother and I just don't see eye-to-eye sometimes."

Erwin nodded, contemplating on what she had just said.

"You and your brother do have similar qualities of stubbornness." Erwin chuckled, and Elyse noticed that he was trying to get her to relax from whatever had gotten her tied up in a knot and that made her start feeling a bit guilty from hiding what Braun had told her.

She found herself thinking if she should just ask Erwin about what Braun had said, but then, she thought about maybe Braun had been wrong about whatever he was accusing Erwin of.

Her head was starting to get a headache once more from all the back and forth hesitation and chaos in her mind.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. Your brother and you will get past this. Why don't you just try talking about it again?" Erwin suggested, putting his book down in order to place a hand atop of hers.

Elyse nodded, but she still felt the sting of guilt as Erwin smiled at her. She really was close to telling him, but she couldn't.

She needed to find out if it was true first.

But, first things first, she needed to distract herself before she was going to explode, so she did the first thing that came into her mind.

She dived under the covers, and she could make out the confused expression on Erwin's face before it was replaced with one of surprised pleasure as Elyse began her ministrations.

And as Elyse looked up, she could feel the guilt getting a bit stronger.

Forgive me, Erwin.

And that was the last thought before she surrendered to the numbing pleasure that washed over her as Erwin took control of her that night.

Elyse made sure that Dieter wasn't going to see her leave the Estate. Her kids were busy eating breakfast, and she had pulled Nifa aside.

"Nifa, I need you to do me a huge favor, okay?" Elyse begged, quietly, as she pulled her friend and helper to the kitchen.

Nifa, wide-eyed, nodded, hesitantly.

"I need you to distract Dieter. I have to go out somewhere, but he can't follow me. Knowing Erwin, he probably gets details from Dieter and this time. There's a surprise that I'm trying to hide from Erwin and I need Dieter to not be with me." Elyse lied, pleasantly, and she even tried to smile at Nifa, who bought it instantly, as she jumped up and down, excitedly.

"Okay, I'll do it." Nifa offered, her hushed whisper of excitement stung Elyse as she was reminded that she had just lied to Nifa.

Elyse watched as Nifa distracted Dieter, and Elyse managed to slip out of the Estate, unnoticed by the rest of the bodyguards. She had contacted a private cab, and she made sure that their personal driver didn't notice.

As the private cab drove off, Elyse didn't bother to turn around, scared to see if she had been noticed.

A notification sounding from her phone had Elyse jump a little, but when she checked it, she signed in relief since it was Nifa who texted her, saying that no one had noticed her slip out.

Elyse thanked her, and Nifa replied by saying that she had excused Elyse by saying that Elyse wasn't feeling well so she retired in her room.

Elyse breathed another sigh of relief, and she gritted her teeth, hoping that whatever Braun had to tell her was worth all the lies she had just done.

The café that Braun had set up was one that hit her in the heart. Braun and her had met here when they had been secretly dating, and it wasn't helping that Braun had picked a table that they had frequented.

She sat down, and she waited. She looked outside the window, admiring the fountain and the kids that splashed in the water.

"Did you wait long?" Braun asked from behind her, and Elyse turned to look at him, ready to lash out on him for being insensitive about the café and the table, but she stopped.

It was like getting hit by a bus, but a really big one.

She couldn't believe the person standing next to Braun, and she didn't what to say as she watched the person take the seat across from her and watched as Braun motioned for another chair so he could sit.

Once everyone was settled, Elyse just stared at the surprising visitor in front of her and she didn't know what to do.

"Miss Elyse, how are you since our dance in Germany?" The visitor asked her, politely, breaking the tense silence that had formed around them.

Elyse opened her mouth, but she decided to shut her mouth in order to get her mind back on track with Braun's unexpected surprise.

She was thankful when a waiter came to the table, asking if they would like to order.

Elyse put the menu in front of her face, pretending to scan the list of items as she watched the other two men follow her example.

They looked calm, as if this meeting was a simple hangout get together that wasn't about to be an awkward showdown between exes and a random Mr. Nile Dok.

When they placed their orders, Elyse hesitantly handed her menu back to the waiter, and she turned to face them, slowly.

"Elyse, I'm sure you already met Mr. Nile Dok. He visited our Army force when he was a Commander back in the day. I trained under him for a while. But, I've recently learned that he also knew your…husband, too." Braun began, trying to be professional about this messed up meeting.

Elyse simply nodded, still staring at Mr. Dok as if he wasn't real.

Mr. Dok smiled and he turned to Braun, shaking his head.

"Mr. Lexington, let's let Miss Elyse breathe first. I'm sure she wasn't expecting my presence today." He stated, motioning for Elyse to take a drink of her water in front of her.

Elyse, thankful for the reminder, grabbed the glass and began to drink it, heavily.

Once she was done, she placed the glass back down, panting slightly.

"What is going on, Braun? I came here to see why you were stating crazy things about my husband, yet I'm sitting across from one of his business partners." Elyse finally said, softly, that Braun had to strain to hear.

"Elyse…what I said is true. Your husband was married before, and he left her, pregnant, to join the Army's special unit in Germany." Braun persisted, his eyes darting back and forth between Nile and her.

Elyse faced Nile and stared at him, hard, "And I'm to assume that you're Braun's source?"

Nile just stared at her, his pleasant countenance still there, as he sat up straight and properly.

"You assume correctly, Miss Elyse." He confirmed, his hands still properly folded in front of him.

Elyse was sure that the world was spinning. The ground beneath her seemed unsteady, and she tried her best to focus on the faces before her. Her head was spinning, and Elyse didn't know how to feel about all the built-up tension and stress that was tightening her chest.

She was sure she also forgot to breathe.

"Explain. Now." Elyse managed to spit out, her voice soft compared to the loudness and chaos in her mind.

Braun looked at her, concerned, and he shot Nile a look, who shot him back a reassuring glance. Elyse watched as Nile reached for one of her pale hands as she shook, slightly.

The pity and reassurance on his face was unbearable to her, so Elyse looked down, focusing on her shaking hand and his steady one.

"Like I said when we were dancing, Miss Elyse, Erwin has always been a private man, an aloof one. We went to the same military school together, and we were stationed together in a private section. He was always brilliant, and I was more than happy to be his partner. He showed great leadership, brilliant strategies, and smooth charisma. It wasn't long before he was promoted quickly and I got to follow him. After we were promoted to be Commanders, Erwin and I were told to also show up in parties to schmooze the usual contributors that fund us. Women would fawn over him, but Erwin, being a bit odd, would never seem to show interest in them. It was until the more parties we had to go, I realized that Erwin would go to a certain bar to take the edge off. It wasn't long after that I saw a woman appear next to Erwin's side. She was beautiful and just as charismatic as he was. They were the golden couple. I was then introduced to her. Marie was enthusiastic while Erwin was the aloof one, but they seemed very happy," Nile began. He stopped when the waiter brought them their dishes.

Elyse was too busy listening very closely when the waiter placed her dish before her.

"It wasn't long before Erwin was offered the Commander position for a private unit that specialized in Germany. It would take him away from Marie, and I was shocked when Erwin said he was going to join the unit. When Erwin had left, I had stopped to visit Marie to check up on her and how she was holding up. I was surprised to be greeted by a saddened Marie. But, I was even more shocked when I saw that she had a small bump peeking out of her dress. It was then that I realized Erwin had left his wife, pregnant and alone. Upset by how my friend was not turning to be this ideal man that I looked up to, I scolded him as soon as I saw him report to our Head Chief. He didn't betray any emotion as he stared at me and talked to me as if I was some child that didn't get the fact that the Army was more important than a pregnant wife back at home. I was appalled and disgusted by Erwin's behavior, so I didn't talk to him after that. That's when I realized that he had been correct in a twisted way, so I went back to Marie to assure her that Erwin knew about her and that he would come back home for her." Nile stopped there, and something flashed in his eyes before he picked up his utensils to begin eating.

And that seemed to signal the end of the story for him, but it wasn't for Elyse.

Elyse saw it. She saw the hesitancy that shone so brightly in his eyes in that one moment.

He was hiding something, and Elyse wasn't about to let him go without the information he was withholding.

"You're hiding something." Elyse stated, accusingly, tired of all the lies and truths that she had been told.

"Elyse…" Braun trailed off, taken aback by her sudden sharp attitude. Elyse turned to glare at him.

Nile looked at her, and he sighed, giving in.

"I went back to comfort Marie and to assure her about Erwin's loyalty and duty until I saw that her bump was now gone. Confused, I remembered that she wasn't that far along to give birth and I immediately thought the worse. I asked her if she had miscarried, and Marie stared at me as if I had grown two heads. She had shaken her head, and she told me that she had chosen to get an abortion, stating that Erwin would forever be placing duty over his own family. Shocked, I asked her if that was what she really wanted. She stared at me then, and my heart had broken for her when she whispered no. Erwin never returned home to Marie after that. He had divorced her overseas, and Marie had signed the papers with no hesitation. Marie had told me that she regretted loving that man and falling for his charms. And that's it, that's the story." Nile finished, sadly.

Elyse didn't know what to say. Her heart was beating fast as she looked down at her hands, trying to breathe in and out.

"So, you're saying that my husband was married before and that he was supposed to be a father, but he chose to be an asshole and even divorced her after she made a heartbreaking choice?" Elyse asked, trying to wrap her mind around it.

"Yes, Miss Elyse." Nile confirmed, slowly.

"Tell me, Mr. Dok. Since you claim to know my husband so well, do you think that my husband made his then-wife abort their child? She didn't want the abortion, but it seemed that you were suggesting that… "

"Yes, Miss Elyse. I'm afraid so." Nile confirmed once more, this time a bit hesitant as Elyse began to slightly tremble.

Elyse didn't say anything as she stared at the table, trying to pin the facts in her chaotic thoughts. Nile got up, coughing slightly.

"I should be going now." Mr. Dok excused himself, and Elyse stopped him before tugging on his suit jacket.

"…The Marie that you talked about…Is she your fiancé now?" Elyse asked, the question burning in her mind as she remembered Germany.

"Yes, Miss Elyse. She is my fiancé now." Nile confirmed, patting the hand that was tightened around the fabric of his jacket, comfortingly.

Elyse let go in shock, and Mr. Dok bent down, his face had compassion and understanding and Elyse wanted to run away from such a gaze, feeling embarrassed and angered at it.

She didn't need anyone's pity.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear this from me, but your friend here was really adamant on wanting you to hear about Erwin's past. If you'll excuse me, Miss Elyse, I do hope that you will feel better soon about this." Mr. Dok offered, weakly.

With that said, the man bowed his head towards Braun and took his leave.

It was quiet for a moment between Braun and Elyse. The high tension between them was almost unbearable.

"Elyse—" Braun was cut off as Elyse stood up, swiftly. He stopped talking when Elyse's eyes turned towards him, wide and blown-out pupils.

"I…I need to go home. I need to process this." Elyse muttered, and she began to try and grab for her purse until it fell down from the chair.

Braun got up to help her, but Elyse slapped his hands away. She got up, gathering her purse, and she began to move to walk away from them until Braun grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Elyse, please wait." Braun begged, but Elyse wretched her arm away from him, turning to face him.

"Tell me, Braun. Why did you do this, hm? Why did you want to tell me so badly about my husband's hidden past when you know very well that he was the one who had encouraged us to be together in the first place? I have kids with the man, Braun. What was the whole point of this? You let me go, so why couldn't you let me go in peace?" Elyse asked, her questions fast and mingling together, that Braun had to strain to hear.

Braun grabbed the sides of her face and he kissed her, deeply, and Elyse, angered by his sudden move, pushed him away.

"How dare you." Elyse hissed, wiping her lips. Braun just stared helplessly at her, realizing that he didn't have any affect with her anymore.

"Elyse…I just needed you to know who you were married to. A man like that…doesn't deserve you." Braun finished, lamely.

Elyse laughed, hollowly. Her heart feeling numb from it all.

"Do you want to know something, Braun? I'm tired of everyone dictating on what they think I deserve. I'm married and we have children, and you couldn't accept that especially the fact that I literally can't do anything about that. You know why? Because I've always done the right thing. I've learned that me trying to be bad just leads to worse things, but God, this thing you just had to let me know when my life is perfectly fine?! This?!" Elyse knew she was beginning to screech and she could see the people around them whispering, and that's when she saw the cellphones coming out and she began to realize that she wasn't a normal person in a café.

Braun had sprung into action and he began to escort her out of the café as soon as people began to chatter and follow after them, their cellphones and cameras being shoved towards Elyse's face.

When they reached a safe place, Elyse began to scramble for her phone, calling for a private cab. As soon as that was done, she began to walk away from Braun, who was breathing deeply after pushing people away from her.

"Elyse!" Braun called after her, and Elyse stopped in her tracks to turn around.

Her glare still there, but the tiredness on her face was showing from all the information that she had just learned.

"What now, Braun?" Elyse asked, more than willing to just run away from him at this point.

"I never meant to get you angry. I just…I missed you and seeing you with him…it hurt, okay? It really hurt. I realized I'm the one who ended things, but it still sucked. Besides, you deserved to know what I found out. You deserved to know who you were married to." Braun explained, exasperated.

Elyse narrowed her eyes, and she crossed her arms, "And how did you come across this information, hm? Did you just randomly started talking to Mr. Dok about the Army and then Erwin came up?"

Braun had the decency to look ashamed as he looked everywhere but her, "I...was snooping around and I have a friend who's still in the Army and he did—"

Elyse held up a hand, her chaotic thoughts running rampage as she listened to Braun's excuse of what he did.

Anger and rage filled her very being and it was towards the man in front of her. She had been fine with her life even if she was still heartbroken after him, yet now…

All she wanted to do was rip him apart for ruining all she had left of what she thought was perfect.

Her father had controlled her in the beginning which made her be in this certain situation. Her brother wasn't talking to her, her own best friend. Everyone around her was either dead or had their own lives like Freida and the ballet company. Now, the one thing she had relied on was this family that she and Erwin and the kids had made up.

And, now it was being ripped away from her with the revelation of Erwin's past life.

"I don't ever want to see you again, Braun. Do you understand me? Ever." Elyse hissed, angrily, and she was thankful that the private cab was there to take her home in that instant.

She didn't bother to hear his reply or even look in his direction. She opened the door, hastily, and she entered the car, quickly.

She didn't even bother to look back.

Elyse didn't return home, immediately. Instead, she went to the theatre to oversee the production that had been set up while she had been gone in Germany.

She had been greeted by a frantic Freida about Braun quitting just five minutes ago.

Elyse had just nodded at that, telling Freida to replace the male lead with their second best without blinking.

She was too busy thinking about what awaited her back home.

The idea of her perfect family had been shattered when Erwin was revealed to be a horrible man who didn't have the sense of duty towards family that she thought he had.

He could've changed, Elyse. Maybe, that's why he's dutiful towards you and the children. He could simply be regretting everything that has ever happened.

She tried to save him in her mind, but she couldn't help but think of all the times that Erwin had been cryptic about his past life and how she was more open with him than he ever was with her. If anything, the man treated her like a business partner…with benefits, but even then, there was nothing of what a normal husband and wife would be with each other.

God, Erwin even let her have an affair if they were being honest about it.

When it comes down to it, I don't trust him. I don't…even if he gives me gorgeous clothes and a great Estate. He can attend to me all he wants…I don't know Erwin Smith.

That's what scared her the most. He was a stranger, one that talked in riddles with vagueness. He treated her respectfully, but was it respect when she had opened up to him about everything and he only opened up to her when it just happened to show? His PTSD wouldn't have been revealed voluntarily by him if Elyse hadn't experienced it, personally.

Elyse knew that for a fact. Erwin never shared anything with her, and she remembered when he would simply wave off her concerns, saying that he would take care of things, and she had trusted him, blindly.

She let him do whatever he wanted, blindly, and here she was, standing in the very theatre he bought for her.

Feeling overwhelmed, she excused herself and Freida began to look at her, curiously, before a smile took over.

"Don't tell me…Are you pregnant?" Freida whispered in her friend's ear.

Elyse felt like vomiting as she smiled back at her friend, hiding the fact that the insinuation was a dagger to her heart.

Elyse shook her head, waving her friend off. She said goodbye to the cast and crew, and she walked outside, taking a deep breath.

"Miss Elyse." A familiar voice sounded behind her, and Elyse turned around, shocked.

"D-Dieter?" Elyse gasped, suddenly realizing that she had been gone for way too long. She reached for her phone in her purse and she cursed silently when she realized she had silenced it to clear her mind.

She had 2 missed calls from Nifa.

She had 10 missed calls from Erwin.

Fuck.

Elyse looked up, and she saw Dieter's disappointed face and she bit her lip, bowing her head, ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Dieter. I…" She trailed off, feeling even more guilty at what may have faced Dieter back at home with Erwin arriving and realizing that Elyse was gone and Dieter wasn't with her.

A small sigh and a pat on her shoulder made Elyse look up, and she softened when she saw Dieter offering her a half-smile.

"Let's just get you home now, Miss Elyse. Mr. Smith…isn't happy." Dieter said that last part softly and slowly.

Elyse sighed, but she nodded. She gave Dieter a slight nod of thanks when he opened the door for her.

What she didn't see was Dieter's concerned look at her when he shut the door.

Elyse arrived at the Estate, dreading to step into it for the first time in her life. She had loved living her life here, and she had loved every bit of its rustic beauty. But, now, all she wanted to do was run away from it.

She sighed. She's going to have to face it somehow, but she didn't know whether she should confront Erwin about it or just leave it and try to figure what to do with the information.

Maybe she could give Erwin the benefit of the doubt and just forget that it ever happened?

Braun definitely wanted her to leave him, but Elyse knew better than to leave the father of her children. Besides, it was all in the past and—

Elyse walked inside the house and she was greeted by a dimly lit living room that was only lightened up by the fire roaring in the fireplace. She hadn't realized that she was already walking towards the house and Dieter had probably excused himself earlier on.

Was the living room ever dark? Elyse narrowed her eyes and she made out the outline of Erwin sitting in front of the fireplace and she could hear his voice drifting towards her. He was on the phone, and by the sound of it, it sounded serious.

Elyse managed to find the switch to the chandelier light and flipped it, illuminating the dark living room.

Erwin's face turned to look at her, and Elyse was floored by staring at him. With the information still hitting her, Elyse knew that it would be a shock to face Erwin once more, but it wasn't because of that anymore.

Erwin's face was livid. Elyse never saw his face like that before, and she could feel the terror rise within her when Erwin didn't break eye contact with her as he hung up the phone.

He got up from his seat and he approached her, slowly. Elyse stood her ground as she felt her legs tremble.

"Do you want to tell me where you've been?" Erwin asked, his voice low and slow.

"I was out. I was getting something that needed to be a surprise." Elyse lied, trying to remember what she had told Nifa.

"Oh? That bullshit you told Nifa isn't going to fly past me. Especially, since I got interesting phone calls from our agents." Erwin hissed, angrily, his blue eyes darkening and piercing her own wide-eyed hazel gaze.

"Agents? What are you talking about?" Elyse asked, exasperated and confused.

Agents? As in—

She cut off her own thoughts as she realized what had happened earlier in the café. Phones, people, and being chased from the café hit Elyse in realization.

"Erwin…I can explain." Elyse pleaded, softly. Erwin's hardened gaze reminded her of that night that he had almost choked her to death, and she was starting to think that he was going to have another episode if she didn't try to calm him down.

"Please, do." Erwin said, his tone not matching his polite statement.

"Braun had wanted closure and I agreed to meet with him about it." Elyse explained, kind of seeing the truth in it, technically.

Erwin stared at her, and he began to laugh.

And, it wasn't the usual pleasurable one that always came from his throat.

He laughed, darkly, and he approached her, swiftly, that Elyse didn't have time to react.

He was in front of her now, and he bent slightly down to get on her level, "Are you lying to me, Elyse?"

Elyse stared up at him, nodding, helplessly. She hoped that she was believable. Erwin's gaze was unbearable to bear especially with all the guilt that was building within her.

He stepped away from her, and Elyse breathed a sigh of relief until she found herself locked in Erwin's powerful arms and that his lips were on hers. Elyse widened her eyes in shock, and she gasped which gave Erwin the opportunity to insert dominance in the kiss.

Erwin had just broken one of their rules, but for once, Elyse didn't care for rules. Everything was happening too fast around her, and she was willing to lose herself in his embrace for just a moment just so she could maybe sleep tonight.

Elyse responded, and Erwin growled in her mouth as he pulled her closer, and Elyse found it hard to breathe in a delicious way as her body molded against his, perfectly.

It wasn't until Erwin pushed her away, and Elyse stumbled a bit, taken aback.

"Tell me, Elyse, was Braun's kiss just like that?" Erwin asked, darkly.

Elyse froze. The memory of Braun grabbing her face and kissing her hard was playing in her mind as she watched Erwin place his phone in her hands, showing her exactly what was playing in her mind.

"Closure, my ass." Erwin stated, grabbing the phone back, turning his back towards her to grab a drink from the liquor room that was across the living room.

"Erwin, wait." Elyse called out to him, softly, but she just watched his retreating back. After a moment, she decided to follow him, trying to see if she could explain what was going to be on the Internet and in every news outlet in the world any moment now.

She found him sitting at the bar, his dress shirt in a disarray and his hair, down and messy, also. He was drinking straight-up vodka, and Elyse winced when she saw him take three shots in a row.

"Erwin, can you please let me explain?" Elyse asked, pleadingly.

"Explain what, Elyse? How you just ruined everything? How all the tabloids will be talking about how we are headed to divorce? God, our children will be going to school tomorrow and the press will be hounding them once more. Shit, Elyse!" Erwin grunted, hurling his glass towards the back of the room.

The sound of the shattering glass made Elyse wince, and she noticed that her eyes were beginning to water.

God, everything was starting to be a mess.

"Erwin…I didn't want him to kiss me. He was begging me to listen to him, but I refused. And, he did that." Elyse argued, trying to fix things.

Erwin chuckled, hollowly, "That doesn't matter, Elyse. You refused to bring a bodyguard with you, so that's just immediately sketchy from the get-go. You let yourself be in a public place with only him. So, in other words, we're fucked."

Elyse didn't know what to say, so she just looked down at her shuffling feet.

"I knew you were too naïve to be trusted with. When will you learn that Braun isn't worth throwing your life over? When I said to give your heart to someone else, I didn't mean to some dipshit who can't even handle being discreet. God, Elyse, you're not sixteen anymore. Grow the fuck up and realize that you have a fucking family that is under the spotlight. Isn't that what you did when you married me?" Erwin pointed out, bitterly.

Elyse looked up, shocked, as she stared at Erwin's slouched back. Anger and bitterness was starting to course through her, and she was hurt beyond words with what Erwin just said.

"Are you fucking kidding with me, Erwin? I said I was sorry, did I not? It's not like we can't do damage control—"

"There you go again with that naïve head of yours. We fucking can't do damage control. I already received calls from stock holders that backed out because they think that we're divorcing. Do you get it, Elyse? Your father's company is starting to go down because you don't know how to be fucking responsible." Erwin shouted, angrily, turning towards her.

"Oh, don't you fucking dare. You want to talk about responsibility? How about fucking returning to your damn wife after finding out that she's fucking pregnant?" Elyse yelled at him, not realizing what she had just said.

Erwin seemed to be taken aback by that, but then, a dark look crossed his face as he stood up and approached her, swiftly, grabbing her arms.

Elyse flinched, but she stared at his face, stubbornly holding on to her pride as she met his darkened gaze with her angered one.

"What do you mean, Elyse?" Erwin asked, his breath smelling sour from all the alcohol he just consumed.

"You know what I mean, Erwin." Elyse replied, her voice soft but adamant.

Erwin didn't say anything. Instead he let her go, and he stared at her, as if trying to read her.

That's when Erwin began to laugh, clutching on to his head, and Elyse stared at him, trying to remain calm.

Erwin finally stopped laughing and he sighed as he looked back at her. Without saying anything, he walked past her. But, Elyse wasn't about to let him go so easily.

"So, is it true?" Elyse asked, softly, the anger within her not subsiding.

Erwin paused at the doorway, and he didn't bother to turn back towards her to answer.

"Yes."

Erwin left as soon as he answered, so he didn't see or hear Elyse fall to the floor, sobbing.

Elyse didn't sleep that night. Instead, she stayed outside on the balcony without a blanket, embracing the cold.

Her heart was numb especially now that she knew her life was over.

Her marriage was officially a sham in her mind and heart. Her brother was gone. Her theatre would be flooded with the press, so she would also have to avoid that. Her kids, her poor kids, were going to be suffering throughout this whole ordeal. Her friends, too.

Everything is so fucked up.

Elyse's thoughts were scattered, and all she had been doing was sobbing on and off as she stared at the waves crashing against the rocks, listening to its lulling melody.

Erwin, the one she had trusted through everything, had gone back to a stranger, one that hated her and her him.

His words hit her and she didn't care if he was inebriated. She did stupid things when she had been drunk, but at least, hers turned out to be a miracle of life. Erwin's turned out to be a shattering of whatever the fuck their relationship had been.

She couldn't blame him about how angry he was. He had every reason to be mad at her slip-up, but he didn't have to insult her throughout the whole thing.

Closing her eyes, Elyse found herself waking up to the sun shining on her. She got up, groggily, dragging her feet towards her bathroom.

After showering and getting dressed, Elyse walked downstairs and she had hoped to be greeted by excited children and a smiling Nifa and Dieter, but all she saw was an empty living room and heard a quiet one at that.

Disappointed, Elyse walked to the kitchen and she was surprised that she didn't see Nifa. Thinking none of it, Elyse cooked her own breakfast and she began to eat and drink her coffee with her usual routine.

After cleaning up her dishes, Elyse bounded up the stairs to her room to grab her phone so she could see why her kids were missing, but she paused when she saw that Erwin's office and bedroom door were wide open.

Should she approach it?

Thinking better of it, Elyse returned to her room to retrieve her phone. Once she did, she regretted it.

All she saw was texts from Hanji, Petra, and Freida, asking what the hell had happened between her and Erwin and why was she kissing Braun.

She also had missed calls from her father. And, she bet that his ten voicemails were him being very angry.

Throwing her phone back on her bed with a groan, Elyse began to massage her temples, trying to calm the pounding headache that was starting to hit her.

The sound of the front door opening and Elyse walked outside of her bedroom and down the stairs. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise when she saw Mike and Nanaba walking inside, hesitantly.

Nana looked at her, sadly, while Mike, the usual quiet and observant one, glared at her.

"Hey, guys." Elyse greeted, softly. She was surprised when Nana ran up to hug her.

"How are you holding up?" Nana asked, softly, and Elyse knew that the look in her eyes were of pity and that's when Elyse knew that they were also informed with what had happened.

"I'm okay. I was just wondering where the kids were." Elyse said, awkwardly pulling away from Nana's hug.

The hesitant look that crossed Nana's face as she shot her husband a look made Elyse react as soon as Mike shot his wife a warning look.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Elyse asked, alarmed, thinking immediately of her kids.

"Did Erwin not tell you?" Nana asked, quietly.

"No, he didn't." Elyse stated, desperate to find any clue on where her children might be.

"Nana, let's go. We don't have to explain anything to her. Let Erwin do it when he gets back home." Mike said, trying to get his wife's attention.

That stung Elyse, but she knew that Mike was upset at her for cheating on Erwin with Braun, but then again, Mike didn't know what the real relationship between Erwin and her had been.

"Please, just…I need to know if my children are okay…" Elyse trailed off, trying to meet Nana's eyes.

Nana bit her lip, and with one last look at her husband, she faced Elyse, clasping her hands.

"They're going to be staying with us for a while, Elyse. Erwin asked if they could until the whole press thing died down. Especially now that-Elyse, wait!"

Elyse ran out the door, and she hailed down Dieter and the driver as they were talking in their corner. Surprised, they raced to where she was heading and they were even more surprised when she started to bark orders as she entered the car.

"Miss Elyse, are you okay?" Dieter finally asked after a moment of silence on the road.

"No, I'm not." Elyse said back.

Nothing else was said.

Elyse ignored all the press as they clamored around her as she struggled to get in the building. Dieter was doing his best to shove them out of her way. Once she entered the building, she noticed that they were all wide-eyed and whispering with each other.

The words that were being said were enough for Elyse to try and hide her face as Dieter walked by her side, glaring at the people.

"She's actually going to show her face here?"

"You didn't see? The boss's wife was caught kissing another guy."

"I bet she's here to sign the divorce papers."

Elyse entered the elevator with Dieter, and she took a deep breath as the elevator doors closed.

"I'm sorry about what's going on. I'm sure that this is all a misunderstanding." A voice said from the side of the elevator.

Elyse lifted her head up, and she was surprised when she saw that it was the elevator attendant that had always smiled shyly at her that had spoken.

"Thank you." Elyse said, softly, and she smiled at the boy, who blushed in return.

When the elevator doors opened, revealing the waiting room before Erwin's office, Elyse thanked the attendant and walked out of the elevator, remembering why she was here.

What she didn't expect was the glare from Isabelle as soon as the secretary saw her.

"May I help you?" Isabelle asked her, coldly.

Elyse was taken aback, but she managed to stand her ground, "I'm here to see Erwin."

Isabelle narrowed her eyes at her, "He's busy right now. I can take a message for you."

Elyse was exasperated by Isabelle's behavior, but she also wasn't going to be turned away especially since she had to go through all of that chaos downstairs.

"Isabelle, please. I need to speak to him." Elyse persisted, tiredly.

Isabelle regarded her for a moment, her demeanor still cold, but she sighed and nodded. Isabelle picked up the phone at her desk and dialed a number.

"Hey, your…wife is here. I tried to tell her that you're busy, but she's persistent." Isabelle said to the phone, and Elyse flushed at how Isabelle talked as if she wasn't there.

As if Elyse wasn't standing there and hearing every word.

"Okay, I'll let her in." Isabelle said finally. She hung up the phone and she pressed the button that unlocked the doors to Erwin's office.

Elyse gave her a hesitant nod of gratitude, but before Elyse could reach the doors, Isabelle's voice stopped her.

"You know, I thought you were different even if you were younger. Seeing you with him and the kids, it had made sense, but then again, looks can really be deceiving." Isabelle hissed, angrily.

Shame and sadness washed over Elyse, but before she could respond, Dieter's voice behind her replied for her.

"I would watch my mouth if I were you, Miss Isabelle. You don't know shit." Dieter replied, smoothly.

Elyse, surprised, turned to face Dieter, and he smiled at her, encouragingly, motioning towards the opened office doors.

Shooting him a look of thanks, Elyse entered Erwin's office, ready to face the scariness of her situation.

She didn't expect Erwin to just be standing in front of the windows, drinking whiskey. Elyse expected him to be throwing himself with work, maybe scheduling a press conference, but the broad-shouldered man stood tall and dark amidst it all.

"How can I help you, Miss Elyse?" Erwin asked from where he was standing.

Elyse shuddered in the formality and professionalism in his voice, but she persevered with why she was here.

"Why did you send the kids away without telling me?" Elyse asked, strongly, her voice getting angrier since the reminder that her kids were away from her made her realize that Erwin, no matter how mad and disappointed he was with her, had no right to send them away without her knowing.

"They need to be safe. I'm not about to shove my kids in this unforeseen drama that the press will undoubtedly pursue." Erwin replied, nonchalantly.

"You could have told me." Elyse persisted, angrily. Erwin turned to her then, placing the empty glass on his office table, and the expression on his face was one that shocked Elyse.

It was like looking at a stranger, one who was annoyed and professional at the same time. He was looking at her like she was a mere unpleasant business partner that he didn't want to deal with.

"I'm sorry, I thought since you did your own thing, I would be able to, you know, make sure my kids are safe." Erwin said, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

"That's not fair and you know it." Elyse said, her voice starting to slightly waver at how mean Erwin was being towards her, still.

"You really want to talk about fair? How about the fact that I've been dealing with upset business clientele about how if I can't please my wife, the heiress of the owner of the business, then maybe I'm going to be kicked out soon by her father. Or how about the fact that the kids are terrified by the press because they're shouting at them about how their parents are going to be separated soon." Erwin said, staring at her, every word piercing her heart.

"Erwin, I'm sorry, okay? I really am. I didn't know that it would be—"

"Of course, you didn't. You never know because I'm the one always taking care of it. This time, no one can take care of you anymore."

Erwin's words were shaking her to her very core, and she knew that it sounded like he was saying…

"What are you saying?" Elyse asked, softly, hoping that he wasn't doing what she thought he was doing.

The office doors opened revealing middle-aged men who were dressed in specialized Army uniforms, one that reminded Elyse of her brother after watching him leave those years ago from their home back in France.

They seemed to be unwanted also after seeing Isabelle's annoyed face before the doors closed. Elyse turned to Erwin, who stared at them with hooded eyes, but the paleness of his tightened fists gave Elyse an inkling that he didn't want to deal with them either.

Among the faces, Elyse could make out one familiar one: Mr. Nile Dok. He caught her gaze and he smiled at her, politely, before turning to face Erwin.

"Erwin. It's time for you to make your choice." Mr. Dok said, starting the talking after a moment of tense silence.

Before Erwin could answer, Elyse and him were interrupted by his office doors opening. Isabelle rushed in with Dieter following, and before Elyse knew it, Isabelle shoved her phone in Elyse's face.

"You need to see this."

Confused and terrified at the expression on Isabelle and Dieter's faces, Elyse looked at what Isabelle was showing her and she widened her eyes as she saw the headline.

ANSEL ACKERMAN IN HOSPITAL AFTER HEART ATTACK

Erwin must've seen the headline too because he got on his phone, already calling her father's people, demanding to know why they had to be informed through the news.

Elyse couldn't focus on what Erwin was saying because she was ready to just faint right then and there. The pressure of everything and the fact that her life was already falling apart was enough for her to want to disappear.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Erwin hung up the phone, angrily.

Elyse turned to him, and she stared at his unreadable face as he looked up at her.

"Your father is awake, and he's asking for you. You can take the private jet." Erwin finally stated, his voice void of any emotion.

"And what about you?" Elyse asked, remembering that this office was surrounded by Army men and a secretary and a bodyguard.

"As you can see, I'm busy here." Erwin stated, motioning towards the group of men that were politely standing side-by-side in some formation of some sort.

Elyse didn't know what to say, but it was if a revelation hit her as soon as she looked up and saw Nile's face as he looked grimly at her.

"Erwin thought the Army was more important than coming back home to a pregnant wife…Erwin never returned to Marie after that…"

The conversation that she had with Mr. Dok seemed to be ringing over and over in her mind as she stared at the shiny medals on the men's' uniforms.

Everything was chaotic, but for some odd reason, Elyse was piecing her chaotic thoughts together, and it was starting to make sense to her in her own twisted way.

But, before she reached a revelation, she shut herself down, refusing to accept the heartbreaking end that concluded in her mind.

Elyse didn't say anything else as she numbly left the room without even saying goodbye to anyone there.

She was tired. She needed—no, wanted—to get away. She wasn't allowed to see her kids. She wasn't allowed to go to the theatre. She wasn't allowed to be human.

"Dieter, where is my father?" Elyse asked, softly, as she entered the elevators with her personal bodyguard.

Dieter, already looking saddened when he stared at Elyse, looked down at his phone.

"Mr. Smith said that he's in your family home in Germany." Dieter told her, softly.

Ha, he tells my bodyguard and not me.

Elyse didn't even let that bother her. Whatever Erwin and her had been was gone. Elyse had seen it in his eyes, the way he talked to her, and the actions that had her reeling on who this person was in front of her.

And, now, she had to focus on going home to the family that she had started off with. The one family that she had on and off trouble with due to her father controlling her life and the fact that her and her brother were not talking.

Does Levi even know what happened?

Elyse began to wonder, but could she even be able to talk to him? She could already see the disappointment and upset in her brother's eyes as she envisioned how it would be talking to him about everything that had gone down when he was away.

That's when another thought hit her about what Erwin had said about how their kids had been terrified when the press shouted at them about how their parents will separate. Her heart broke as she imagined Eren yelling at them, Armin crying, and Mikasa whimpering. It was all too much.

And, this was all her fault.

Elyse closed her eyes as she walked with her head down out of the building and into the car, ignoring the clamor and the screams.

She didn't start to cry until she entered the car.

They landed, quickly, and Elyse breathed a sigh of relief when she remembered that her family home in Germany was in a secluded area compared to the German hotel they had been staying for her uncle's funeral, but still…

She hadn't been in her German home since her mother…passed away.

But, her father was suffering, and Elyse knew that it wasn't the time to start pitying herself out of all people.

She thanked the driver as they arrived at the Estate, and Elyse's heart swelled up with the memories that began to hit her as she arrived at the courtyard, inhaling the clean air that she had enjoyed as a little girl.

Granted, she had been her children's age when she had lived here, but she remembered memories that had made her happy.

Her father teaching her how to play the piano. Her mother teaching her how to cook. Her mother teaching her how to garden over there. Her brother teaching her how to sing. Her brother giving her the scar that was on her knee by accident as he tripped her over there.

The memories were there, and Elyse didn't know how to exactly feel about it all. Indeed, it was a refresher from everything that had been happening, but it hurt her to remember how carefree she had been.

When she entered the house, she noticed that absolutely nothing had changed. She caressed the curvatures of the wooden furniture, and she sighed.

"So, when were you ever going to tell me about Braun or did father having a heart attack from your irresponsibility give you a damn wake-up call?"

And, Elyse turned around to face reality of it all, a harsh reminder that memories were only just...memories.

A:N/ Hey, guys! I know that it's been awhile, and I just want to thank you all for your patience and love for this fic once more. You guys are awesome, and hopefully, this whole chaotic chapter will make up for the lack of update.

This chapter was so sad to write, and I actually teared in a couple of parts LOL. SO, don't sob, please. (jk it's kinda meant to be sad and frustrating so don't be ashamed in crying just a little bit.)